Why are you reading this message?
Question marks in headlines are frowned upon by many newsrooms—on the grounds that an article that asks questions deters readers. But this attitude is wrong, as a Norwegian study shows, according to the NZZ am Sonntag.
Standardized messages on Twitter and on an electronic auction platform were read more frequently over two months if they contained a question mark in the headline. This was found by Norwegian researchers. The content was best perceived when it addressed the reader directly. So: "Power corrupts" loses out to "Is your boss corrupt?".
The results of the study can be found here.
(Teaser image: Keystone)
